Reviewer:
Mind Wondrin
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favoritefavoritefavorite -
September 30, 2018
Subject:
Return from, um...
They'd been playing the UM Arena [the DTE] when they came, but for this show they returned to Pine Knob. Healy had a mess of mixes on this tour, usually picking one of the boys at a time and giving them up to half of the image; and almost never Jer. Usually Bobby guitar, Vince or Bruce. Like much of the tour, the 1st set is short by a song or two and the second set is longish (albeit mostly due to a lengthy Drums>Space). The next night is better known, and a little better overall, but the best shows of the tour are Buckeye, and maybe the 2nd Giants, Kansas & Denver.
First Set. Average openers, though They Love Each Other is weirdly thin. It gets a little exciting with Minglewood. Jer spurs everybody on and you can hear Bobby go off (T right here in Motown). Jer was mixed too low for front of house too. Good version, obscured by Healy, There a couple mini-trainwrecks in Dire Wolf and Bobby keeps mixing the verses causing Jer to pointedly sing "king of spades but the hearts were all the same" (isn't it usually the other way 'round?). Bruce straps the accordion for Queen Jane - quite solid if not one I can love. But I sure dig this Ramble. This is the kind of loopy way the sparks happen on this tour. It's different than it sounded in '90, but that's totally Deadish The mix now favors Bobby guitar and Phil. The end of Promised Land is exactly what it takes to leave 'em happy for set break.
Second Set. The Victim opener makes for a psychedelic and warped seg into Scar>Fire (the official release includes the last 2 :45 of Victim). It's an average Scarlet until the longish jam, which has great sections; and check out Phil. On its back is a terrific Fire on the Mountain, continuing the nipping tempo. Jer revisits the old version "caught in slow motion in a fall to the floor". It's a 25min Scar>Fire and it took a few listens to realize the benefits of this FoTM. From Dewiminna on the set is basic GOGD, until a fine Stella Blue (here the official includes 1 :55 of Space). The rest is average '91, but a strong Phil show can be fun. In fact Phil puts this whole tour to bed with these six-string thunder chords.
1st Set: C
2nd Set: C+
Overall = 3 stars
Highlights:
Ramble On Rose - loopy sparks
Scarlet Begonias>Fire on the Mountain - from the former's jam on there's something going on
SOURCES: The best SBD is 138579_sbd_lai-jeh_sbeok, but all SBDs have a cut in Promised Land and 1 :36 missing from Drums. The ladner_19144 is complete and the only AUD with all frequencies intact. Wanted: a matrix or the complete vault show. /Victim>Scarlet>Fire, and /Space>Stella>The Other One>JBG are on Download 11.